Monika Bacardi

Only a few
years after Lady Monika Bacardi co-founded the AMBI Group, the Italian

businesswoman
co-purchased the French Magazine, PHOTO. By doing so, she has deepened her
business interests in the creative sector while reviving a cornerstone in the
world of visual arts and photography in particular.

Founded in
1967, the iconic PHOTO Magazine has always been respected both in the media and
in the arts world. The magazine deals with photography in all its aspects, from
photojournalism to fashion.

PHOTO, an
iconic magazine

Daniel
Filipacchi created it on an idea of Paris Match photojournalist Walter Carone.
The first cover in July 1967 featured Catherine Deneuve photographed by David
Bailey. From its early days, the magazine benefited from a special aura and
from the support of iconic photographers such as Brassai, Cartier-Bresson and
Willy Rezzo. By promoting the works of amateurs through readers’ contests,
Photo quickly became a commercial success with half the sales made abroad.

Unfortunately,
the magazine suffered in recent years from the decline in advertising

expenditures,
including those traditionally made by the digital camera manufacturers

weakened by
competition from smartphones.

A subtle
but efficient metamorphosis

When Monika
Bacardi co-purchased it in 2014, the magazine was on the verge of closing. But the
Italian businesswoman felt that such a landmark should not disappear and
started to push the magazine through a small but efficient metamorphosis.

The format has
been changed and made smaller while the basis weight of its pages has been increased.
Monika Bacardi’s intuition is to make of Photo a magazine that you would want
to keep and not throw away every month. Traditionally centred on image only,
Photo’s new formula will leave more space to textual content. It will also
include more lifestyle.

Creating
new appointments with the readers

PHOTO Magazine’s
new team also wants to create special appointments with special issues. In
November 2014, the magazine featured a special Paris Photo edition; in December
the same year, an issue dedicated to top models; in May 2015, the Los Angeles
Special Issue of of PHOTO featured a cover story of the festival Paris Photo...
The website of the magazine will eventually become a sales area of art
photography.

Monika Bacardi
aims at doubling the sales within three years, currently at 18,000 copies in France
and 25,000 abroad. The magazine’s circulation has already been increased to
45,000 within the first months of its acquisition in August 2014, will be more
luxurious.

Three pillars
have been defined to support new strategic orientations: quality upgrading,glamor
and celebrity. The year 2015 has already been rich in novelty for the magazine:
newwebsite competition models (Photo Selfie Next Model), new sections, new
activities related to the world of photography.

Revealing
and fostering new talents

Monika Bacardi
also decided to develop the traditional amateur contests to strengthen PHOTO’s
role as a developer of talent. Besides being published and sold in the magazine
and on the website, the most talented amateurs will be selected to get support
from a new division:

Photo
Management. Its mission will be to help up-and-coming photographers trough the business
aspect of their work (editorials, advertising campaigns, fashion shows, etc.)
as well as through the artistic aspect (organizing exhibitions, merchandizing).